Coupler attachment



Dec. 10, 1957 G. A. PELIKAN 2,815,365

COUPLER ATTACHMENT Filed Aug. 12, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV TOR ATTORNEY Dec. 10, 1957 G. A. PELIKAN 2,815,865

y Y doUPLEzR ATTAcmENT Filed Aug. 12, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVE 0R ArroRNEY courrnn ATTACHMENT George A. Pelikan, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Waugh Equipment Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Maine Application August 12, 1955, Serial No. 527,983

4 Claims. (Cl. 213-61) This invention relates to railway draft rigging of the type which includes a draft gear and yoke and a coupler connected to the yoke and capable of swinging in both vertical and horizontal planes. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a novel coupler and yoke assembly for use in such draft rigging, which permits universal movement of the coupler but tends lto hold the coupler in central position for easy coupling. The new `assembly is simpler and lighter in weight than prior similar assemblies and can be used with draft gears of varying `types as desired.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in vertical longitudinal section of the yoke and coupler assembly of the invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional vie-ws on the lines 2-2 and 3 3, respectively, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the connection piece and part of the shank of the coupler `of the new assembly; 'and Fig. 5 is a sectional perspective View of a lcushioning element employed in the assembly.

The yoke and coupler assembly `of the invention lis illustrated in the drawings as installed between spaced longitudinal sills of a railway car. The coupler 11 may be of any of the standard constructions and it includes the usual head 12 and shank 13. The shank has a rear end formed of spaced sections 14 formed with aligned openings and lying between the ears 15 of a connection piece, generally designated 16, and the ears have openings aligned with those in the shank and containing bushings 17. A vertical pivot pin 18 'extends through openings in the shank and connection piece and the pin is held in place from beneath by a retainer pin 19, which extends through spaced lugs 20 extending downward from the lowermost ear A15. The opening through the uppermost ear 1S has an enlargement outside bushing 17, in which a key 21 may be inserted from beneath rbefore installation of the bushing. The key has a lug overhanging the top of pin 18 and holding it in place.

The connection piece has a rear end section 22, which extends into a pocket defined `by an upper wing 23, a lower wing 24, and 'a pair of lateral wings 25 on the forward end of the yoke. The yoke has upper and lower straps 26, 27 and its lower strap rests upon a wear plate 28 attached to the upper surface of a plate 29 having its opposite ends supported on carriers 30 extending between and secured to the lower ends of sills 10, only the forward carrier being illustrated. T-he yoke encircles a cushioning unit 31 made up of a plurality of rubber springs alternating with divider plates. A front follower 32 lies within the yoke and is held by the cushioning unit in contact with the rear ends of stops 33 attached to the inner faces of sills 10.

The rear end section 22 of the connection piece and the lateral wings of the yoke have aligned openings containing bushings 22a and 25a, respectively, and a ited States Patent: O

2,815,865 Patented Dec. 10, 1957 ICC VThe element is illustrated as taking the form of an elongated rubber ring land each ring is held in place by a lug 36 on the surface of the connection piece, which enters the opening through the element, The elements are installed under compression and they act to urge the connecting piece and coupler to a central position.

With the construction described, the coupler has a limited freedom of swinging movement in a horizontal plane about pin 18 as a pivot and the coupler and connection piece have a limited freedom of movement in a vertical plane about pin 34 as a pivot. Under normal conditions, the cushioning elements 35 acting between the upper and lower Wings of the yoke and the upper and lower surfaces of the connection piece tend to hold the coupler level and against swinging downwardly. With the cushioning elements disposed to the rear of pivot pin 34, the upper element holds the coupler against swinging downwardly and the lower element tends `to keep the coupler centralized by resisting movement of the coupler upwardly from the central position. The formation of the yoke with a pocket at its front end, into which the connection piece projects, and the use of a single connection piece between the yoke `and coupler provide a construction substantially lighter in weight than those previously proposed to obtain the same effect.

While the draft gear within the yoke is illustrated as a group of rubber springs, it is to be understood that the draft gear may be of the double acting type and include a second group of rubber springs. Also `any conventional friction draft gear may 'be used, as desired.

I claim:

1. In a railway car having spaced longitudinal sills, an assembly comprising a cushioning unit between the sills, `a yoke enclosing the unit and having a pocket at its forward end defined by upper, lower, and lateral wings, a unitary connection piece having its rear end section within the pocket, a horizontal pivot pin in aligned open ings in the lateral wings of the yoke and the rear end section of the connection piece, a coupler having a head and a shank, means outside the yoke pocket connecting the coupler shank to the connection piece for swinging movement in a horizontal plane, and resilient means between the rear end section of the connection piece and the upper wing of the yoke resisting movement of the connection piece with the head of the ycoupler moving downward.

2. The assembly of claim 1, in which the resilient means is a rubber element lying on top of the rear end section of the connection piece and in contact with the under surface of the top of the pocket.

3. The assembly of claim l, in which the rubber element engages the top surface of the connection piece and the top wing of the yoke to the rear of the horizontal pivot pin.

4. The assembly of claim 1, in which the resilient means consists of `a pair of rubber elements between the top of the rear section of the connection piece and the under surface of the upper wing of the yoke and between the top surface of the lower wing .of the yoke and the bottom of the rear section of the connection piece, respectively.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

